The Sisters Mabuse
by Mister Id
Summary: An old doctor immersed in unconventional research has gone missing. When a clue as to his whereabouts reaches them, his kin rush off to find him. Determined as they may be, the varied dangers they face may be more than they can handle.


The Sisters Mabuse

Like lifeblood through the arteries, the train ran rhythmically along the track. There was something soothing about the motion of the train, which complemented the peaceful dream of Laura Mabuse. She snored loudly as saw a cozy little house where a really nice lady was playing hostess. A sudden jerking rattled her awake, and in her flailing fell off the top bunk. With some quick maneuvering, the rudely awakened girl was able to minimize the damage.

"Sister, are you alright?" a soft voice weakly spoke. In the corner sat Nova Mabuse, so tall she seemed almost standing. The first thing Laura noticed was the bulky weapon of the Healing Church known as a Repeating Pistol in the lap of Nova. Next, she saw Nova's clumsy attempt to bandage her arms. Laura was quite sensibly startled.

"By Oeden, you didn't?!"

"Cursing isn't ladylike."

"I'm not cursing," Laura insisted as she began fixing Nova's bandages properly, "I'm only asking for help. We shouldn't take stock in the tall tales of the Yharnham Hunters and their mystical tools of monster slaying. We're liable to get ourselves killed that way. All the sooner if more of your blood ends up in the train car carpet than in those quicksilver bullets."

"Maybe," Nova nodded weakly, "But Papa thought my blood was unusual, like Mama's. He was tightlipped about how, but I thought this would make a practical test.

She brushed aside the wispy, white locks blocking Nova's view and looked into her sister's dark eyes, "You're pale enough as it is. Loose more and you're liable to turn blue."

"I think you would like that," giggled Nova, "All the imaginative ways you could tease me," her tone became serious, "Oh dear, did you bump your head?"

Having been so focused on her younger sister, Laura completely forgot she was in pain. The reminder was like falling down all over again as she clutched her head, then excused herself to the bathroom.

The car was for high end passengers, with ample accommodations considering the limits of space. Water poured into a basin, the elder sister washed her face rigorously to completely wake herself while cleaning out the affected area. The normally curled brunette locks flattened against her skin, which Laura ignored as she leaned close to the mirror for a good look at the bump.

_Not that bad, just Nova worrying out of proportion while she herself was bleeding._

After a deep sigh, Laura looked into her own lightly colored eyes. These were also the eyes of her father and of her grandfather, Dr. Oswald Mabuse. She was quite young when Grandfather remarried and begat an aunt younger than herself. She was still young when tragedy struck and he was made a widower a second time. So Laura remembered little of the second wife, but Nova swore she still had vivid memories of her mother. She was warm and doting, with a size to match all the love she overflowed with. Laura asked her self what that even meant when screaming and a great clamor erupted.

On reflex, Laura burst out of the bathroom and rushed to the corner of the bed. There she had rested her father's cavalry saber and she seized it by the sheath. The hilt felt bulky in her grasp as she eyed the door. The noise became louder and Nova hurriedly loaded ammunition into the oversized pistol. At this Laura put a finger to her lips then motioned for her sister to take to a spot just out of sight for anyone entering from the door. With a deep breath she drew the sword from its sheath.

Quietly, the elder Mabuse sister took a position suitable for an ambush. The breath demanded to leave her each time there was a scratch at the door. Laura felt as though her spine was being dug at with medical instruments from the insidious sound. Still, she mustered the courage to hold up the sword with both hands, ready to come down on any intruder.  
Men shouted and the sound of several revolvers firing announced the sudden entrance of the ghastly beast as it broke through the door. Like a monkey with a wolf's head, it scurried into the room snapping its jaws. Claws fiercer than those of any jungle beast rent the door and anything it dug into. Laura screamed then jumped back.

Nova's mouth was agape. Her dainty hands raised the oversized gun. She inhaled quickly and fired without even attempting to aim. Twin projectiles bore into the flesh of the beast. Caught unawares, the devilish thing recoiled. In haste, Laura chose to thrust the tip of the cavalry sword into the throat of the beast. The blade curved into the neck of the monster. Tendons and muscles gave resistance as the monster gained enough composure to swipe at Laura.

A scream came from Nova. Quick on her feet, Laura dove towards the swinging claws. Her grip on the sword remained strong. The paw of the beast slapped against the blade as its neck was split open. From the wound jetted a spray of blood which seemed to intoxicate the beast even as the life slipped from its body.

When the railway police looked into the room, they reflexively called for a doctor and a priest. Between Nova's speechless, gaunt figure and the shower of pungent blood which covered both sisters, believing they were in mortal peril or in need of last rites was a perfectly sensible mistake. Still in shock, Laura studied the corpse of the beast they had finished off.

What first stood out to her were the gaping wounds left by the shots Nova fired into the beast. Mercury seemed to burn the flesh even as it dribbled out of the body. Then she pondered the beast itself. The features were an incoherent mishmash of mammalian animals that nature could not account for. Bare patches of flesh betrayed the feebleness of the bloodthirsty brute, and Laura had to admit to herself that they were most likely able to slay it because the thing was already half-dead. Worse than this, Laura felt a lingering dread as she caught glimpses of features which were uncomfortably close to human.

As best they could tell, the beast was a loner which happened to cross paths with the train. Still, it was determined that keeping the train going for safety reasons while piecing together events and cleaning up. Though beginning to recover her senses, Nova was still in a state of shock which Laura thought warranted her aid in changing clothes. Luckily, their bags were spared the ghastly dark crimson spray.

The train stopped by the station closest to Boreal in darkness, though the clock indicated it was officially morning. At the station, the girls were surprised to receive a telegram from Laura's father. She read aloud the message, "Agency put me in contact with an ex-Hunter. Wait for us at station."

At this news, Nova was ecstatic, "That's fantastic! The skills of a Hunter would be a great boon, and when we find Papa we'll all be together!"

"There's no such thing as an 'ex-Hunter,'" Laura jeered, "They either go insane or die violently. Whoever the agency suggested is clearly a conman. Let's keep going and find out the truth either way. If the lead was a dud then we'll be back before Dad arrives."

Unable to effectively rebut Laura's argument, Nova acquiesced and followed her lead. When Laura and Nova hired a carriage for the remainder of the journey the horizon exploded with color from the rising sun. Such shades and hues were soothing to look upon and so the sisters were able to find some reprieve in a few hours of sleep.

Boreal proper is a large village considering the long unpleasant winters. Coal mining provided both heat to survive the cold and income to buy necessary supplies. Once in a while, miners stumbled upon a peculiar fossil or some antique from a period with little in the way of reliable historical record. Such a place was so far removed from the field on inquiry which Dr. Mabuse had pursued that sources alluding to his presence in Boreal left the family in doubt.

Still, Nova's intuition affirmed the claims and Laura was resigned to the fact that no other information pointed to his whereabouts. Jacob Mabus, however, was off a mind to contact a private detective agency and trust their expertise in finding his father. His argumentation was sound, but the sisters were compelled by a sense of urgency.

Anywhere else the season was late summer, but as the carriage arrived at Boreal there was no mistaking winter was already encroaching. The coachman removed his hat to slap away the accumulated snow. Laura eyed the wooden houses with their high angled roofs. Nova wondered where they acquired stones for the exterior chimneys.

An unsettling silence frayed the nerves. Still, the coachman wasn't too worried until his horses began to panic. He attempted to calm the horses. A sound of shuffling. Nova grasped the Repeating Pistol and the grip offered a sense of security to her. The coachman climbed to the top of the carriage, crouched low. He unslung a rifle as he scanned the treeline. The horses whinnied and shook their heads violently.

Laura didn't want to abandon their search altogether, but she was about to instruct the coachmen to get away for now to safety. Then a clamor as a shape ran for the coach, snarling and barking. Leading with his rifle, the coachman landed a solid shot at the vicious dog. Yet the beast lost little momentum as it bounded for the driver. Two thumps, a scream, rending, then more scampering.

Terrified for their lives, the horses bolted, taking the carriage along with them absent any regard for the passengers. One dog crashed it's upper body through the window. Lacking room to maneuver, Laura rammed the sheath into the jaws of the feral animal. A second attempted to clamor up with its peer in the pack. Given the proximity of the dogs, Nova's double-shot was able to split open the pair.

With its jaws in a deathgrip on the sheath, the first dog pulled it out of the carriage. So deep were the teeth dug in that Laura realized that the blade itself had been mangled by the dog. In the middle of the street the horses took a hard turn which caused the carriage to tip over. After that, everything became murky for the sisters.

Once again, Laura enjoyed a pleasant dream of the inviting little house on a hill. She sat at a table in an open space surrounded by white flowers which brought to mind twinkling stars. As before, the genial woman was there. Laura was both entranced and a touch envious of her hostess. Then she spoke, "My, it is unusual to have a guest such as yourself. What meaning could there be in this encounter? I wonder."

When she awoke, Laura found the remains of a wild dog lingering over her, impaled on the jagged snarl of what used to be the shining blade her father used in bold cavalry charges. Next thing she noticed was the turned over carriage was open to the sky like a broken eggshell. After slumping off the dead dog, Laura wiped the snow away from Nova's face. With a wry smile on her face, Nova stretched out her arms and made a snow angel as best she could.

"Don't know whether to be relieved or worried about you getting used to the blood," Laura stated as she became aware of the mess of gore which had covered them and likely masked their scent when they had passed out. First peeking out of the massive hole, Laura scanned the immediate area for any sign of the wild dogs. The silence was both a relief and disturbing.

Only after the two exited the carriage did they see the mess that was the horses, as well as the lumbering figure which turned the corner around a nearby house. Known locally as Barnaby the Bullet, the bear was alleged to have a small armory's worth of ammunition lodged in its body. There was even rumor that it took shrapnel from a mine. In its old age, Barnaby lacked the same ferocity in hunting and had resorted to scavenging from the village. Given its talent for mocking mortal weapons the village settled for patiently tolerating its forays even though they tried to discourage such expeditions.

Bearing many scars and effects of age, the bear resembled many of the creatures which terrified the sisters and sought their blood. Nova was ready to shoot, Laura was conflicted on whether to encourage her sister or insist they flee. A figure nearby insisted, "You better not do that."

At this Nova turned with weapon drawn on the shape of a man. He was dressed warmly, brandishing what looked to be a mace of a sort. Barnaby started to chew on what meat could be picked from the slain horses, ignoring the humans entirely. The man motioned for the two to follow him before he turned and walked off. Seeing as this was the first human contact in the village, the sisters needed no further prodding to go after him.

In one well kept house the mysterious man entered, then proceeded to stoke the fire. As soon as the sisters entered, they barred the door with no need for instruction on the part of the man. He nodded, "Good, good. We should be safe for now," He unwrapped his dark-haired head and put on his glasses, "Thought I recognized you. The Mabuse girls, yes?"

"Have we met?" Nova inquired.

"Not directly," the man began to apply a wax to his moustache, "I am Dr. Pretorious, an enthusiast of archeology."

"Gramps had left home with no explanation," Laura interjected, "We heard he was in the area. Might you have seen him?"

Content with the heat, Pretorious stepped further into the house which was full of antiquities and volumes on various artifacts. He casually responded, "Why yes, I had. We had been in contact for some time. His field was medicine, but he was immersed in an area of study with which he was unfamiliar."

"Where is Papa now?" reflexively pleaded Nova.

"Probably still in the mines," Pretorious replied, "You're the one from his dalliance, I take it."

"From his second wife," Laura snarled, thinking how she would love to rip out the mole under Pretorious' eye.

Sensing hostility, but not caring as he set down his weapon, the archeologist laughed, "Of course. We humans have to nerve to call such things marriages, oblivious to the grander mystery which we are feebly imitating.

"While the good doctor was tight-lipped on details," Pretorious continued as he raised a clay vase, "He had confided to me in the land where he met his… wife… they use of iconography similar to this. Identical to be honest. So many scholars focus their energies on Yharnham because it is the Healing Church's center of power and has so much history. They lack imagination to suppose that deep history could also reach far beyond that ancient city.

"Before the oldest record of modern humans there could well be a continent-wide civilization. Perhaps even one which spanned the globe. It may not be a single continuous society as we know it. Separate populations guided by some unifying force which was undaunted by the distance."  
Sensing that the doctor was interested in having someone to talk at, Laura seized the strange mace. She instructed Nova, "Let's get to the mines."

"I have no interest in risking my own skin," Pretorious stated, "But if you are so foolhardy you'll go headlong into that death trap… resuming my investigations sooner would be a relief."

He retrieved a bag and carefully slung the strap across his chest. The doctor was giddy like a child about to burn ants with a microscope. As he led the sisters closer to the mine, the scenery became bleaker with more scenes of carnage in the recent past. One ghastly sight included the remains of a beast, like the one from the train, nailed to the wall of a house and disemboweled in a brutal fashion.

The entrance of the mine was on the edge of the village as it was dug into the side of a mountain. Within the entrance were a group of armed men who were vigilant to keep anything from coming in or out. From behind a large pile of lumber used for cribbing, Pretorious pointed out the men and their distinctly animalistic features. Then he handed the sisters several clay urns, "After I get in position, start throwing these at the clods and take cover."

Stealthily, Pretorious slunk over to another pile of building materials at the flank of the impromptu guards. He signaled and the sisters began throwing. Nova undershot her first throw, then severely overshot with the second urn. The report of a rifle made her take shelter on account of being a large target. Laura's first and second throw landed at the feet of the guards. After briefly taking cover, Laura summoned the courage to lob a third urn. That missile just happened to conk over the head a man with a pickaxe who looked ready to go after them. He was stunned as oil splattered over him.

With perverse joy, Pretorious hurled a Molotov at the assembled half-men. One was fleeing back into the mine before the bottle shattered and flame enveloped its fellows. With guttural screams it called out to others within the mine. This was cut short as it slipped on the pool of oil from an urn thrown too far. A burning compatriot stumbled over to him and spread the fire.

With her mouth covered in a silent scream, Laura was repulsed by the violent spectacle before her. Roasting flesh and burning hair assaulted her sense of smell. Nova was somewhat transfixed by the dance of flame and the futile efforts of the beastmen to save themselves. Even so, she was able to start loading the Repeating Pistol calmly and collectedly. When the fire burned out, the three humans approached the entrance and peered into the mine proper. Pretorious offered them a lantern before turning on one of his own.

"By the way," suggested Pretorious, "Press that switch when you want something to die quickly, but don't panic and drop it."

Blue sparks emitted from the mace in Laura's hand while she glowered at Pretorious. She flicked the switch again then nodded her head. Like a hooligan with a bat getting ready to beat a man bloody, Laura wound the Tonitrus in the air as she put forth her lantern. Nova followed at a safe distance while Dr. Pretorious lagged behind.

For some time they followed the tracks, as Pretorious explained it was at the furthest end of the mine proper where something phenomenal was discovered. While he had mentioned relics of the past, anything beyond that the good doctor was unwilling to divulge. That the discovery in the mines had something to do with men becoming more bestial, Laura had no doubt, but she couldn't shake a nagging sense there was more than the contagion at work in the village.

At first the tunnel looked like a normal extension of the mine. Then they crossed through an opening in what Laura soon realized was a stone wall. The dim light of the lantern revealed at the edges of its glow a fairly roomy structure. It had clearly seen better days, but the old construction remained sturdy despite untold aeons which passed.

"Sir, do you know which way-?" Nova halted in the middle of her question when she realized that Pretorious had slipped off.

"That rat," Laura muttered then pointed, "Since he probably went in that general direction, it should be the safer route."

The sisters proceeded onward. Within the large chamber were several doors. Many footprints disturbed the layers of dust, some bearing little resemblance to the tracks of men. While the walls were very simple, Nova noted the doors were often very ornate. She said aloud, "Something about the patterns of the doors has a nostalgic feeling. Do you remember seeing these before?"

First she raised the lantern to a door. Laura peered closely, but to no avail. A whole other door opened by the free hand of a malformed man with a cleaver in hand. Nova reflexively shot the man before he could react. Laura followed with an electrifying bludgeoning, "Quickly, that door!"

The ruckus alerted the mutated villagers, and Nova hastily forced the door open. After the sisters passed through, Nova attempted to shut it, but how tightly she wasn't inclined to check. They ran hard through a narrow corridor up till it made a sharp turn.

Laura was first to round the corner, but came to a halt. Nova was on the verge of catching up when Laura dove into her. The noise of the mechanism rang out and a set of darts sailed through the air. When the projectiles ran into the wall and clattered to the floor, they made a surprisingly pleasing sound.

Undaunted, the sisters proceeded down the corridor in the hopes of finding an escape from their pursuers. One such pursuer closed the distance, but in his bloodlust had failed to notice any of the traps. Through a slot in the ceiling a massive blade claimed the life of the villager.

A certain segment of wall seemed irrational to Laura as the pattern suggested an opening despite being bricked up. She reached a hand to see if there might be some secret passage, and then was shocked to find her hand pass through solid stone. Nova had no reservations in charging through the illusory wall and yanking her sister along with her. The deception held even as other villagers of dubious humanity passed by.

Unfortunately, it was this apparent boon which led to a heartbreaking sight. In the corner were the remains of a man who had recently died, but in the conditions of the strange ruins had naturally mummified. Certain articles gave him away as Dr. Oswald Mabuse, the dear father and grandfather for whom they had searched.

They crumpled at the feet of his body, completely crestfallen. Nova embraced him as she wept, "We truly thought you were still alive."

Laura rested a hand on Nova's shoulder as she choked down bitter accusations. Grief and anger mingled together as Laura cursed the cruel fate which fell upon her grandfather and brought sorrow to her sister. She wasn't sure how to bring the news to her father.

Suddenly, the two were enveloped in a blue, smoky light. The world went dark for a while. Yet again, Laura found herself in a familiar place, but this time she was accompanied by Nova.

Their hostess was inviting them up a flight of steps, "Come, dear guests. There is someone here who longs to see you."

Laura quickly noticed the hostess and her sister were similar in height as they walked up the steps to the inviting little house. Upon the door opening, Nova rushed in with a beaming smile on her face, "Papa!"

"Nova!" replied a familiar voice from inside the house, "However did you come upon this place?"

"You had us worried beyond belief so we looked all over for you," Nova asserted as Laura scaled the steps with a lingering sense of dread, "We were so sure that you… that you-"

A deep sigh and reply, "Unfortunately there is nothing that can be done about that. My body gave out. Took one too many chances and I'm not as spry as I used to be."

She looked, and Laura saw seated by a table something which shook her. It was indescribable even as it carried on in conversation with Nova. That her sister held a part of the thing as though she were coaxing an enfeebled man by the hand made her noxious. The obscenity completed itself as that thing turned to Laura, "Oh Laura, you're here, too! I see you're quite upset. Always had a sharp eye. I'm sorry I was careless and have brought myself to this state. Still, I'm quite alright. This isn't what I wanted, but it's not all bad."

It wrapped itself around Nova in mockery of a warm embrace, "You're very brave girls, and I'm glad to see you one more time. Still, I don't think you should stay long. This place can have an effect. Just… promise me that you two will continue looking out for one another."

Brought to the limits of her sanity, Laura bolted from the house. She screamed from the depths of her soul as she raced past an open gate into a field of flowers. Her breath turned icy and she grasped her throat. Then she saw the moon looming overhead. With all the flowers about her Laura felt as though she was swimming among the stars. She felt she could look past the moon and see the world.

Nova Mabuse awoke in a carriage with her sister in spirit and brother by blood. Jacob fretted over his daughter, visibly distraught. Seeing that Laura was unconscious, Nova called out, "What's wrong with Laura?"

"Thank goodness you are awake," Jacob replied, "I presumed whatever ailed her to be the same as what had claimed you. We found you both had fainted from I thought was seeing Father's body."

"We?"

He hooked a thumb over his shoulder, "First the former Hunter, who was quite a formidable man. Baited a bear to fight it out with the pack of wild dogs. Then we found a strange man humming to himself with an armful of what I presume to be antiques. By repeated blows to the face the Hunter coerced information and his cooperation. The way to and back were adventures in their own right. Suffice to say the reputation of the Yharnham Hunters is devoid of embellishment."

"What of Papa's body?"

"He's… received the proper rites as best we could perform them. There was no means of taking him with us and we gave him as decent a burial as was possible in such a place. In a way, I think he would have found it fitting."

Nova clutched at her breast, frustrated at being unable to accomplish anything when all was said and done. This feeling gnawed at her for days on end as they made their way home. Laura's state persisted and she was put to rest in her room upstairs.

At the fireplace downstairs rested Nova, Jacob, and the former Hunter. From a flask the Hunter took a swig of a strange liquid. Nova noticed this and stated, "I was told there was no such thing as an ex-Hunter, that they all go crazy or die."

"You're not wrong, missy," the Hunter replied, "Often times they do both, and some poor sods have the misfortune to die before they go an' lose their mind. There's secrets. Lotsa little secrets and plenty of big secrets. Once you cross the threshold with them secrets, there's no coming back and no motive is pure enough to protect you forever. If you can do what you set out to do without getting pulled in, good on you," the Hunter rose, "But never try yer luck again."

Before he could walk away Nova asked, "What do you do if the secrets still tempt you?"

"Dull the wits with a sedative so the imagination can't run wild. Stay away from hallucinogens, though, and never touch opium," the Hunter reached for the door then stopped, "By the way; those bullets of yours were a life saver. They have far greater potency that anything I could produce. Still have a few."

"Keep them," Nova stated, "I have no further use for them and they might tempt me to go off on another wild adventure."

The Hunter nodded, then unceremoniously walked off into the night.

Still reeling from the experience, Jacob cradled his head in his hands. He laughed without smiling, "When Mother died he threw himself into his work so that he wouldn't notice the toll the loss took on him. When your mum passed away the research allowed him to feel close to her, like she wasn't truly gone. I encouraged him in this and now he's gone."

"We all encouraged him," Nova stated, "Even when we didn't go into detail, the gleam in his eye when he boasted of great progress gave us peace of mind."

"Right, that look in his eye," Jacob said as he reached into his coat pocket, "Father had some effects he left behind in the house with that shifty fellow. Among them I found this. Drawing a blank on when this was taken."

He passed to her a photograph. In the firelight, Nova made out her father when his hair was darker and fuller, a small child which she recognized as herself, and then there was a woman who loomed over the both of them with her great height. Even when seated she had Dr. Mabus beat out in verticality. She gasped, "This is Mama!"

"Indeed. I rarely saw her when she lived, but there's no denying that's her. Small wonder following clues would have brought Father to such a strange place. Though how they met is a mystery in itself."

Nova looked warmly into the photograph and said, "Yes, but let us leave it at that and be glad they met. Even now I have to believe the good outweighed everything which has recently transpired."

Conceding the point, Jacob got up from his chair, "I'll check up on Laura one more time before getting some sleep. If she's not well by morning, we'll have to get a proper physician examine her."

Finally struck with the full extent of her exhaustion, Nova nodded off to sleep, still holding the photograph mirthfully.

When Jacob Mabuse entered the room, he found her daughter sweating heavily in her sleep. He called out to her.

_Eyes. Blood. Sea. Corruption. Impurity. Heir._

"Laura, what's wrong?"

_The Sky and the Cosmos. A bottomless Sea. The Sky and the Sea. The Sea and the Cosmos._

"Please wake up!"

_Embrace. Rapture. Writhe._

For the first time in her life, Laura's eyes were truly open.


End file.
